Truck-loader



(No Model.)

J. D. HILL, TRUCK LOADER.

No." 4d0;'4'51. Pat'entd-Apr. 2, 1889.

Q Wvtneomw I V V Mlioiwegf UNITED STATES PATENT Grrrcn.

JAMES D. HILL, OF NASHVILLE, MISSOURI.

/ TRUCK-LOADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,457, dated April 2,1889;

- Application filed May 11, 1888 Serial No. 273,612. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES D. HILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nashville, in the county of Barton and State of Missouri,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Truck-Loaders, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has relation to truck-loaders or means for drawing boxes,barrels, &c., on the truck without handling the same; and it has for itsobject to provide improved means whereby the grappling-hooks may bereadily manipulated bythe hands .which grasp the handles of the truck,so that boxes and barrels of various sizes maybe engaged and held inposition on the truck without repeated adjustment of the hooks.

In my previous patent, No. 343,635, I employed a transverse extensiblerock-shaft and longitudinally-extensible grappling-hooks at- I tached tothe ends thereof, whereby the said hooks are capable of vertical swingonly, but may be adjusted to any desired width. In the present inventionI dispense with the extensible rock-shaft and pivot the grapplinghooksto the ends of the rock-shafts or spindles in such a manner that theyare capable of both lateral and vertical swing, thereby enabling thehooks to be engaged with any part of the box or barrel to be laden.

The invention consists in a certain novel construction and arrangementof devices, fully set forth hereinafter, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of thetruck, showing the improved grappling-hooks in position thereon. Fig. 2is a detail horizontal sectional view showing the attachment of thegrappling-hook to the truck. Fig. 3 is aplan view, partly in section, ofa portion of a truck having a slightly-modified form of attachment forthe hook.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates a truck of theordinary or any preferred construction, having the wheels B B mounted onthe front end and the supports or legs 0 O attached to the under side ofthe rear end, and D designates the serrated toe-plate, which is attachedto the front end of the truck.

In bearings E E on the handles of the truck are mounted the shortspindles F F, which are held in place by means of the nuts G G on theirinner ends, and to the outer ends of these spindles are pivoted (onvertical pivots) the sleeves H. These sleeves are preferably providedwith lateral ears I, which are bifurcated and embrace ears on the outerends of the spindles, and in the sleeves are mounted the grappling-hooksK. The grappling-hooks are longitudinally adjustable in the sleeves, andthumb or set screws L are mounted in apertures in the sides of thesleeves to clamp the hooks at the desired point or extension. It will beseen that the hooks are capable of universal movement, thereby enablingboxes, bales, barrels, &c., of all sizes to be readily laden, and if forany reason it should be desirable to have a longer grappling-hook it maybe extended, as described.

The operation of this device is similar to that of other devices of thesame-character, and therefore a detailed description of the same hereinis unnecessary.

WVhen the hooks are notin use, they are arranged against the side barsof the truck and are engaged in spring clips or hooks M, which areattached to the said side bars. These hooks are flared outward at theirupper ends to enable the grappling-hooks to be engaged therein readily.In some cases it may not be desirable to have extensible grapplinghooks,and I have therefore in the modification shown a form of hook which isnot ex tensible. In this form the side of the shank or straight portionof the hook is provided with a lateral inwardlyextending ear, N, whichis mounted between parallel ears on the outer end of the spindle. Itwill be seen thatthis hook is capable of universal movement, but itcannot be longitudinally adjusted.

The advantage in the universal movement of the grappling-hooks is thatthey need not be provided with means to adjust them laterally, and theirfront or free ends may be separated or drawn toward each other to suitpackages of any size or shape. Any universal bearing may be provided,'asa ball-andsocket joint; but I prefer that shown in the drawings onaccount of its simplicity and cheapness.

Having thus described my invention, what Too I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a truck, the independent transverse spindles F, journaled on thetruck, and the grappling-hooks pivoted to the outer ends of thespindles, so as to swing laterally of the truck independent of thespindles, the said spindles allowing the grappling-hooks a verticalmovement, whereby both a vertical and a lateral movement is imparted tothe said hooks, as set forth.

2. In combination with the truck, the spindles F, journal'ed thereon,the sleeves lI, pivoted on the outer ends of the spindles, so as toswing laterally independent of the turning of the spindles, and thegrapplingdrooks \Vitnesses;

R. P. SMITH, CHAS. II. BROWN;

